SINGAPORE, July 3/Medianet International-AsiaNet/--Seven Chartered Accountants in Singapore have received Fellowships, the highest recognition in the accounting profession, from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand President Jane Stanton.

This comes as part of a multi-country tour by Ms Stanton, whereby thirty-six Chartered Accountants across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom are also being recognised for their achievements.

Ms Stanton is visiting Asia and the United Kingdom to meet with partner organisations to foster and strengthen relationships, and recognise those Chartered Accountants who are leading the way.

Chartered Accountant Fellowships are awarded for outstanding career achievements and contributions to the profession through business and community endeavors while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and judgement.

Ms Stanton said that the Chartered Accountants' designation is internationally recognised for its commitment to building sustainable prosperity for clients and communities while maintaining the highest ethical standards, and is becoming increasingly important across Asia and the UK as businesses face unprecedented levels of uncertainty.

"With diversity and disruption a new global norm, the accounting profession is also evolving fast," said Ms Stanton.

"The traditional view of the profession - as an analytical and black-and-white role – is morphing into a profession of the future – as sense makers, growth accelerators, critical thinkers and digitally savvy.

"Small to medium sized businesses are telling us that Chartered Accountants are playing a key role in their success - serving as trusted advisors who predict risks and identify growth opportunities.

"We know that shifting employment arrangements, demographic changes, technological advancements and globalisation are drastically altering the operating environment, but we also know that the most agile businesses are the healthiest and the most sustainable.

"Our recent Future[inc] report, 'Future of Business', found that 55% of businesses who reported being above average in terms of agility were also experiencing above average revenue growth. Of those that rated themselves below average in terms of agility, only 16% said they were growing faster than average.

"Across Singapore, there are around 1,205 Chartered Accountants with experience across the changing context of every commercial, community and government sector.

"Our ethical standards and values, financial proficiency, industry and business management expertise and future focused mindset means our profession is ideally placed to guide businesses through the age of uncertainty," said Ms Stanton.

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is a professional body comprised of over 117,000 diverse, talented and financially astute members who utilise their skills every day to make a difference for businesses the world over.

Members are known for their professional integrity, principled judgment, financial discipline and a forward-looking approach to business which contributes to the prosperity of our nations.